Most Common Causes of Death Due to Injury in the US

The most common causes of death due to injury in the United States

Cause of death Total number of deaths Percentage of total deaths 1. Heart disease 696,96220.6%2. Cancer 602,35017.8%3. COVID-19350,83110.4%4. Accidents (unintentional injuries) 200,9555.9%5. Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases)160,2644.7%6. Chronic lower respiratory diseases152,6574.5% 7. Alzheimer’s disease 134,2424.0%8. Diabetes 102,1883.0%9. Influenze and pneumonia 53,5441.6%10. Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis (kidney disease)52,5471.6%

The table is derived from the National Safety Council's data on accidents. There are four columns:

Column 1: Manner of injury
Column 2: Total number of deaths nationwide due to the manner of injury for the year 2000
Column 3: Odds of dying in one year due to the manner of injury [i.e. 1 in 46,901 chance of dying as a Pedestrian]
Column 4: Odds of dying over the course of a lifetime due to the manner of injury [i.e. 1 in 610 chance of dying as a Pedestrian]

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Source: National Safety Council "estimates based on data from National Center for Health Statistics and U.S. Census Bureau. Deaths are classified on the basis of the Tenth Revision of the World Health Organization's "The International Classification of Diseases" (ICD). Numbers following titles refer to External Cause of Morbidity and Mortality classifications in ICD-10. One year odds are approximated by dividing the 2000 population (275,306,000) by the number of deaths. Lifetime odds are approximated by dividing the one-year odds by the life expectancy of a person born in 2000 (76.9 years)."

Sort by: Manner of Injury | Odds of Injury

Type of Accident or Manner of Injury	Total Deaths in 2000	One Year Odds [1 in #]	Lifetime Odds [1 in #]
Pedestrian	5,870	46,901	610
Pedalcyclist	740	372,035	4,838
Motorcycle rider	2,765	99,568	1,295
Occupant of three-wheeled motor vehicle	23	11,969,826	155,654
Car occupant	14,813	18,585	242
Occupant of pick-up truck or van	3,268	84,243	1,095
Occupant of heavy transport vehicle	369	746,087	9,702
Bus occupant	20	13,765,300	179,003
Animal rider or occupant of animal-drawn vehicle	97	2,838,206	36,908
Occupant of railway train or railway vehicle	30	9,176,867	119,335
Occupant of streetcar	1	275,306,000	3,580,052
Other and unspecified land transport accidents	16,850	16,339	212
Occupant of special industrial vehicle	15	18,353,733	238,670
Occupant of special agricultural vehicle	273	1,008,447	13,114
Occupant of special construction vehicle	37	7,440,703	96,758
Occupant of all-terrain or other off-road motor vehicle	717	383,969	4,993
Other and unspecified person	15,808	17,416	226
Water transport accidents	630	436,994	5,683
Drowning	466	590,785	7,683
Other and unspecified injuries	164	1,678,695	21,830
Air and space transport accidents	777	354,319	4,608
Other and unspecified transport accidents and sequelae	496	555,052	7,218
Other specified transport accidents	2	137,653,000	1,790,026
Unspecified transport accident	4	68,826,500	895,013
Transport Accidents	46,749	5,889	77
Falls	13,322	20,666	269
Fall on same level from slipping, tripping and stumbling	565	487,267	6,336
Other fall on same level	1,885	146,051	1,899
Fall involving bed, chair, other furniture	650	423,548	5,508
Fall on and from stairs and steps	1,307	210,640	2,739
Fall on and from ladder or scaffolding	412	668,218	8,689
Fall from out of or through building or structure	506	544,083	7,075
Other fall from one level to another	687	400,737	5,211
Other and unspecified fall	7,310	37,662	490
Exposure to inanimate mechanical forces	2,768	99,460	1,293
Struck by or striking against object	877	313,918	4,082
Caught between objects	84	3,277,452	42,620
Contact with machinery	676	407,257	5,296
Contact with sharp objects	80	3,441,325	44,751
Firearms discharge	776	354,776	4,613
Explosion and rupture of pressurized devices	30	9,176,867	119,335
Fireworks discharge	5	55,061,200	716,010
Explosion of other materials	167	1,648,539	21,437
Foreign body entering through skin or natural orifice	36	7,647,389	99,446
Other and unspecified inanimate mechanical forces	37	7,440,703	96,758
Exposure to animate mechanical forces	204	1,349,539	17,549
Struck by or against another person	61	4,513,213	58,689
Bitten or struck by dog	26	10,588,692	137,694
Bitten or struck by other mammals	65	4,235,477	55,078
Bitten or stung by nonvenomous insect and other arthropods	9	30,589,556	397,784
Bitten or crushed by other reptiles	31	8,880,839	115,486
Other and unspecified animate mechanical forces	12	22,942,167	298,338
Accidental drowning and submersion	3,482	79,065	1,028
Drowning and submersion while in or falling into bath-tub	341	807,349	10,499
Drowning and submersion while in or falling into swimming-pool	567	485,549	6,314
Drowning and submersion while in or falling into natural water	1,135	242,560	3,154
Other and unspecified drowning and submersion	1,439	191,318	2,488
Other accidental threats to breathing	5,648	48,744	634
Accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed	327	841,914	10,948
Other accidental hanging and strangulation falling earth and other substances	333	826,745	10,751
Threat to breathing due to cave-in	64	4,301,656	55,938
Inhalation of gastric contents	382	720,696	9,372
Inhalation and ingestion of food causing obstruction of respiratory tract	744	370,035	4,812
Inhalation and ingestion of other objects causing obstruction of respiratory tract	3,187	86,384	1,123
Confined to or trapped in a low-oxygen environment	15	18,353,733	238,670
Other and unspecified threats to breathing	596	461,923	6,007
Exposure to electric current, radiation, temperature, and pressure	419	657,055	8,544
Electric transmission lines	99	2,780,869	36,162
Other and unspecified electric current	296	930,088	12,095
Radiation	0	---	---
Excessive heat or cold of man-made origin	12	22,942,167	298,338
High and low air pressure and changes in air pressure	12	22,942,167	298,338
Other and unspecified man-made environmental factors	0	---	---
Exposure to smoke, fire and flames	3,377	81,524	1,060
Uncontrolled fire in building or structure	2,776	99,174	1,290
Uncontrolled fire not in building or structure	68	4,048,618	52,648
Controlled fire in building or structure	50	5,506,120	71,601
Controlled fire not in building or structure	29	9,493,310	123,450
Ignition of highly flammable material	65	4,235,477	55,078
Ignition or melting of nightwear	9	30,589,556	397,784
Ignition or melting of other clothing and apparel	116	2,373,328	30,863
Other and unspecified smoke fire and flames	264	1,042,826	13,561
Contact with heat and hot substances	110	2,502,782	32,546
Contact with hot tap-water	55	5,005,564	65,092
Other and unspecified heat and hot substances	55	5,005,564	65,092
Contact with venomous animals and plants	80	3,441,325	44,751
Contact with venomous snakes and lizards	12	22,942,167	298,338
Contact with venomous spiders	5	55,061,200	716,010
Contact with hornets, wasps and bees	54	5,098,259	66,297
Contact with other and unspecified venomous animal or plant	9	30,589,556	397,784
Exposure to forces of nature	1,223	225,107	2,927
Exposure to excessive natural heat	301	914,638	11,894
Exposure to excessive natural cold	742	371,032	4,825
Lightning	50	5,506,120	71,601
Earthquake and other earth movements	35	7,865,886	102,287
Cataclysmic storm	49	5,618,490	73,062
Flood	5	55,061,200	716,010
Exposure to other and unspecified forces of nature	41	6,714,780	87,318
Accidental poisoning by and exposure to noxious substances	12,757	21,581	281
Nonopioid analgesics antipyretics and antirheumatics	176	1,564,239	20,341
Antiepileptic sedative-hypnotic antiparkinsonism and psychotropic drugs n.e.c.	704	391,060	5,085
Narcotics and psychodysleptics [hallucinogens] n.e.c.	6,139	44,845	583
Other and unspecified drugs medicaments and biologicals	4,693	58,663	763
Alcohol	302	911,609	11,854
Gases and vapours	631	436,301	5,674
Other and unspecified chemicals and noxious substances	112	2,458,089	31,965
Overexertion, travel and privation	185	1,488,141	19,352
Accidental exposure to other and unspecified factors and sequelae	7,576	36,339	473
Nontransport Unintentional (Accidental) Injuries	51,151	5,382	70
Deaths Due to Unintentional (Accidental) Injuries	97,900	2,812	37
Intentional self-poisoning	4,859	56,659	737
Intentional self-harm by hanging, strangulation, and suffocation	5,688	48,401	629
Intentional self-harm by firearm	16,586	16,599	216
Other and unspecified means and sequelae	2,217	124,180	1,615
Intentional self-harm	29,350	9,380	122
Assault by firearm	10,801	25,489	331
Assault by sharp object	1,805	152,524	1,983
Other and unspecified means and sequelae	4,159	66,195	861
Assault	16,765	16,421	214
Poisoning	2,557	107,668	1,400
Hanging, strangulation, and suffocation	104	2,647,173	34,424
Drowning and submersion	231	1,191,801	15,498
Firearm discharge	230	1,196,983	15,565
Exposure to smoke, fire, and flames	76	3,622,447	47,106
Falling, jumping, or pushed from a high place	55	5,005,564	65,092
Other and unspecified means and sequelae	566	486,406	6,325
Event of undetermined intent	3,819	72,089	937
Legal intervention involving firearm discharge	270	1,019,652	13,259
Legal execution	80	3,441,325	44,751
Other and unspecified means and sequelae	9	30,589,556	397,784
Legal intervention	359		9,972
Operations of war and sequelae	16	17,206,625	223,753
Complications of medical and surgical care and sequelae	3,059	89,999	1,170
All External Causes of Mortality	151,268	1,820	24